You can move small neighborhoods of students from one school to another at the click of a mouse with the reZONER tool, then check the accompanying map and chart to see the changes in attendance-zone boundaries and student demographics at a school.

The School Board is altering attendance zones for 28 of the district's 36 elementary schools to reduce overcrowding at some schools and fill empty seats at others.

But three committees considering rezoning plans for schools grouped in North, East and West phases have made little progress in agreeing on any plans. The committees have tossed out all but a handful of those considered.

"Hopefully, when they come back in January it will be a little more give-and-take toward consensus," said Deputy Superintendent Anna Marie Cote, who is helping lead the rezoning process.

Meanwhile, district officials welcome rezoning proposals from the public.

Officials hope that when the committees begin meeting again Jan. 9, they will have a slew of new school-rezoning plans to evaluate — and agree on some to forward to Superintendent Walt Griffin and the School Board for consideration. The School Board will make the final decision on school-attendance zones in March and April.

"No one wants to move their kid from a school," said Lorena Pierson, a parent from Winter Springs Elementary, among 11 schools up for rezoning in the North Phase.

Pierson's son was rezoned from Longwood Elementary when the School Board closed it last year, and now his neighborhood school could be switched again. But moves are inevitable in the massive rezoning now planned, Pierson and others agree.

More than 20,000 students attend the 28 schools targeted for rezoning, and many may have to change schools to come up with the balanced enrollment that the School Board wants.

Rezoning plans must work toward two goals, district officials say. First, a school's enrollment must be less than its capacity, with specific targets set for each school that leave room for anticipated growth.

Second, and more difficult to attain, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches also must be balanced toward a targeted range to avoid schools with too many or too few low-income students.

Committee members and others drawing proposed rezoning maps also must consider racial and ethnic makeup of schools, plus percentages of students with special needs or who do not speak English.

"We are probably not going to be successful in getting every school in that target range," said Beth Sharpe, an elementary-school supervisor helping direct the rezoning. "But we should be moving toward that target range."

Using the rezoning tool simplifies the task.

Here's how it works:

First, go online to http://www.rezoner.com/ to pull up the rezoning tool developed by Chad Cole, a local parent, a few years ago when the district was rezoning several middle schools and Cole was frustrated with the task. Cole and Phil Palmieri, both Web designers, later updated it for broader use, and the district is using it under purchase and lease agreements.

Next, choose a rezoning phase — North, East or West — that you want to work on, based on which schools you're interested in. They are listed in phase groups.

Pull up the "Current Zoning" map for that group of schools. While it is loading, you will notice a log-in box, top right. Cole suggests you create an account now so that you can save plans and possibly submit one for the committees to consider.

The map will show current color-coded attendance zones for each school in the group, each subdivided into tiny neighborhood "cells" or "study areas." Click on one you want to move, and when a box opens describing details of the study area, go to the blue bar at the top of the screen and click on "select school." That allows you to choose the school where you want to move the students.

Click at will, moving students from school to school and creating your own balanced plan. Movement in enrollment and demographics for each school will show in the bar and chart below the map as you make changes.

Note: You'll need a copy of the target ranges for capacity and low-income students for each school to see whether your plan will fly. Pick that up at the school district's website — http://www.scps.k12.fl.us — by clicking on "Elementary Rezoning," choosing a rezoning phase, then pulling up "Target Range" from documents posted regarding that phase of schools.

Plans can be saved for later tinkering or submitted to the school district with a final click under "plan status."